Chapter XI: Part 11

THE FIFTH NOUELL.

_Lvcivs one of the garde to Aristotimvs the Tyrant of the cittye of
Elis, fell in loue with a fayre mayden called Micca, the daughter of
one Philodemvs, and his cruelty done vpon her. The stoutnesse also
of a noble matron named Megistona in defence of hir husbande and the
common wealth from the tyranny of the said Aristotimvs: and of other
actes done by the subiectes vppon that Tyrant._

You haue heard, or as it were in a manner, you haue beeholden the right images and courteous conditions of two well conditioned persons mutually ech towards other obserued: in the one a Princely mind towards a Noble Gentleman his subiecte: in the other a duetieful obedience of a louing vassal to his soueraigne Lord and Maister: in both of them the true figure of Liberality in liuely orient colours described. Now a contrary plotte, grounded vpon extreame tiranny, is offred to the viewe, done by one Aristotimus and his clawbacks againste his humble subiects of the City of Elis, standyng in Peloponessus, a country of Achaia (which at this tyme we cal Morea.) This Aristotimus of nature was fierce and passing cruell, who by fauour of king Antigonus was made Tyran of that City: and like a Tyran gouerned his countrye by abuse of his aucthority with newe wronges, and straunge crueltyes vexing and afflicting the poore Cityzens and all hys people: which chaunced not so much for that of himself he was cruel and tyrannous, as for that his counsellours and chiefe aboute him were barbarous and vicious men, to whom he committed the charge of his kyngdome and the guarde of his person: but amonges all his mischiefes wrongfully done by him which were innumerable, one committed agaynst Philodemus (the same which afterwarde was the cause of the depriuation of his lyfe and kingdome) is specially remembred. This Philodemus had a daughter called Micca, that not onely for hir chast qualityes and good condicions whiche vertuously flourished in hir but for her extreame and goodly beautye, was in that citty of passing fame and admiration. With this fayre maiden one of the Tyrant's guarde called Lucius fel in loue, if it deserue to be called loue, and not the rather, as the end ful wel declared, a most filthy and beastly lust: this Lucius was deerly beloued of Aristotemus, for the fiendish resemblance and wicked nerenesse of his vile and abhominable condicions: and therfore feared and obeied as the Tyrante's owne person: for which cause this Lucius sent one of the yeomen of the kinge's chamber to commaunde Philodemus at an appoynted hour, al excuses set apart, to bring his daughter vnto him. The parentes of the mayden hearing this sodayne and fearful mesuage, constrayned by Tyrante's forse and fatal necessity, after many tears and pittious sighes, began to perswade their daughter to be contented to goe with him, declaringe vnto her the rigour of the magistrate that had sente for hir the extremety that would be executed, and that ther was no other remedy but to obay. Alas, how sore agaynst their willes, with what trembling gesture, with what horror the good parentes of this tender pusill were affected, to consider the purpose of that dreadefull message, all dere fathers and naturall mothers can tell. But this gentle mayden Micca which was of nature stoute, and yet vertuously lessoned with sundry good and holsome instructions from hir Infante's Age was Determined rather to Dye, then to suffer her selfe to be Defloured. This vertuous Mayden fell downe Prostrate at her Father's Feet, and clasping him fast about the Knees, louingly did pray him, and Pitifully besought him, not to suffer hir to bee haled to so filthy and vile an office, but rather with the piercing blade of a two edged sword to kill her, that therby she might be rid from the violation of those fleshly and libidinous varlets, saying, that if her virginity were taken from hir, she should liue in eternal reproch and shame. As the father and daughter were in these termes, Lucius for the long tariance and delaye, dronke with the Wine of lechery, made impacient and furious, with cursed speede posted to the house of Philodemus, and finding the maiden prostrate at her father's feete weeping, her head in his lappe with taunting voice and threatning woordes commaunded presently without longer delay she should ryse and go with him: She refusing his hasty request, and crying out for Father's help, who (God wot) durst not resist, stoode still and would not goe: Lucius seeing hir refusal ful of furie and proude disdaine, began furiously to hale hir by the garments, vpon whose struggling he tare hir kirtle and furnitures of hir head and shoulders, that hir alablaster necke and bosome appeared naked, and without compassion tare and whipte hir flesh on euery side, as the bloud ranne downe, beating that tendre flesh of hirs with manifold and greuous blowes. O vile tirant, more wood and sauage than the desert beast or mountaine Tigre: could cruelty be so deepely rooted in the hart of man which by nature is affected with reason's instinct, as without pity to lay handes, and violently to hurt the tendre body of a harmlesse Maidee? Can such inhumanity harbor in any that beareth aboute him the shape of man? But what did this martyred maiden for all this force? Did she yeld to violence, or rendre hir self to the disposition of this mercilesse man? No surely. But with so great stoutnesse of mind, she suffred those impressed wounds, that no one word sounding of sorrow, or womanly shriech was heard to sound from hir delicate mouth: howbeit the pore father and miserable mother at that rueful and lamentable sight, moued with inward grief and natural pity, cried out aloude. But when they sawe that neyther playnt nor fayre speech coulde deliuer their Daughter out of the hands of that cruell monster, they began with open cryes and horrible exclamation to implore helpe and succour at the handes of the immortall Gods, thinking that they were vnworthely plaged and tormented. Then the proud and most barbarous wretch, moued and disquieted by cholers rage and fume of chafinge Wyne, sodaynly catched the most constant virgin by the hayre of the head, and in her father's Lap did cut her white and tender throte. O detestable fact, right worthy iust reuenge. But what did this vnfaythfull and cruell Tyrant Aristotimus, when by the blustering bruit of people's rage he heard of this vengeable murder, not only he shewed himselfe contented wyth the fact, but had him in greater regard than before, and towards them which made complaint hereof, greater cruelty and mischyefe was done and executed. For in open streat, lyke beastes in the Shambles, they were cut and hewed in peeces, which seemed to murmur at thys bloudy and vnlawfull act: the rest were banished and expelled the cytty. Eight hundred of these exiled persons fled into Etolia (a prouince adioyninge to Epirus, which now is called Albania.) Those people so banished out of theyr country, made instant sute to Aristotimus to suffer Wyues and chyldren to repayre to them: but theyr suite was in vayne, their peticions and supplycations seemed to be made to the deafe, and dispersed into the wyndes: notwithstandinge, within few dayes after, he caused by sound of trumpet to be openly proclaymed, that it should be lawful for the wyues and chyldren of the banished to passe wyth their baggage and furniture to theyr husbands in Ætolia. This Proclamation was exceeding ioyfull to al the women whose husbands were exiled, which at the least by common report were the numbre of 6 hundreds: and for more credite of that Proclamation, the wicked Tyrant did ordayne, that al the company should depart vpon a prefixed day. In the meane time, the ioyful Wyues glad to visit their poore husbands, prepared horse and wagon, to cary theyr prouisions. The appoynted day of their departure out of that City being come, all of them assembled at a certayne gate assygned for their repayre, who that time together resorted with their little children in their hands bearing vpon theyr heads theyr garments and furnitures, some on horseback, and some bestowed in the wagons according as ech of theyr states required: when al things wer in a readinesse to depart, and the gate of the City opened, they began to issue forth. They wer no soner gone out of the City walles, and had left behind them the soile of theyr natiuity, but the Tyrants guard and Sergeants brake vpon them, and before they were approched they cried out to stay and go no further vpon pain of theyr liues. So the pore amazed women, contrarry to the promise of the Tyrant, wer forced to retire. Which sodain countremaund was sorowful and woful vnto the afflicted flock: but there was no remedy, for procede they could not. Then those Termagants and villains caught theyr horse by the bridles, and droue back again theyr wagons, pricking the pore oxen and beasts with theyr speares and Iauelins, that horrible it is to report the tyrany vsed towards man and best, in such wyse as the pore miserable women (God wot) contrary to their desyres, were forced in dispyte of theyr teeth to retourn. Som alack fell of theyr horse wyth theyr little babes in theyr lappes, and were miserably troden vnder the horsefeete, and ouerrun with the wheles of the wagons theyr brains and guts gushing out through the weight and comberance of the cariage, and (which was most pitiful) one of them not able to help an other, and much lesse to rescue theyr yong and tendre sucking babes, the vyle sergeants forcing ech wight with theyr staues and weapons maugre theyr desirous mindes to reenter the City. Many died by the constrained meanes out of hand, many were troden vnder the horsefeete, and many gasping betwene life and death: but the greatest soart of the litle infants were slaine out of hand, and crusht in pyeces: those whych remayned alyue, were commytted to Pryson, and the goods which they caryed wyth them altogyther seased vpon by the tyrant. Thys wycked and cruell facte was most intollerable and greeuous vnto the Cytyzens of Elis, wherevppon the holy dames consecrated to the God Bacchus, adorned and garnyshed wyth theyr pryestly Garments, and bearyng in theyr Handes the sacred mysteryes of theyr God, as Aristotimus was passyng through the Streete garded with hys Souldyers and Men of Warre, wente in processyon to fynde hym oute. The Sergeauntes for the reuerence of those religious women disclosed, and gaue them place to enter in before the Tyrant. He seing those Women apparelled in that guise, and bearing in their hands the sacred Bachanal mysteries, stoode stil, and with silence heard what they could say: but when he knew the cause of their approch, and that they wer come to make sute for the poore imprisoned women, sodainly possessed with a diuelish rage, with horrible hurly burly, bitterly reprehended his garrison for suffering those women to come so neare him. Then hee commaunded that they should be expelled from that place without respect, and condemned euery of them (for their presuming to intreat for such caitiue prisoners{)} in II. Talents a piece. After these mischiefs committed by the tyrant, Hellanicus one of the pryncipal and best esteemed persons of the City, although that he was decrepite, and for age very weake and feeble, cared not yet to aduenture any attempt what soeuer, so it might extend to the deliuery of his countrey from the vnspeakable tyranny of most cruel Aristotimus. To this gray haired person, bicause he was of aged yeares, void of children which were dead, this Tyrant gaue no great hede ne yet emploied any care, thinking that he was not able to raise any mutine or tumult in the City. In the mean space, the Citizens, which as I haue sayd before, were banished into Etolia, practysed amongs them selves to proue their Fortune, and to seeke al meanes for recouery of their countrey, and the death of Aristotimus: wherfore hauing leuied and assembled certaine bands of Souldiers, they marched forth from their bannished seat, and neuer rested till they had gotten a place hard adioyning to their City, where they might safely lodge, and with great commodity and aduantage besige the same, and expel the tyrant Aristotimus. As the bannished were incamped in that place, many citizens of Elis daily fled forth, and ioyned with them, by reason of which auxiliaries and daily assemblies they grew to the ful numbre of an army: Aristotimus certified hereof by his espials was brought into a great chafe and fury, and euen now began to presage his fall and ruine: but yet meaning to foresee hys best aduantage, went vnto the pryson where the Wyues of the banished were fast inclosed, and bicause he was of a troublesome and tyrannical nature, he concluded with him self rather to vse and intreat those wiues with feare and threates, than with humanity and fayre wordes: being entred the pryson, hee sharpely and wyth great fiercenesse commaunded them to write vnto their husbands that besieged him without, earnestly to persuade them to giue ouer theyr attempted warres: "Otherwyse (sayd he) if ye do not follow the effect of my commaundement, in your own presence I wil first cause cruelly to be slayne al your little Children, tearyng them by piece meale in pieces, and afterwardes I wyll cause you to be whipped and scourged, and so to dye a most cruel and shamefull death." At which fierce and tyrannycal newes, there was no one woman amongs them that opened theyr mouthes to answer him: the most wycked and vile tyrant seing them to be in such silence, charged them vpon theyr liues to answer what they were disposed to doe: but although they durst not speake a word, yet with silence one beholding eche other in the face, fared as though they cared not for hys threats, more ready rather to dye than to obey his comaundement. Megistona then, which was the wife of Timolion, a matrone aswell for hir husband's nobility as hir owne vertue, in great regard and estimation, and the chief amongs all the Women, who at his comming in would not rise, but kept her place, nor vouchsafing to doe any reuerence or honor vnto hym, and the like she bad the rest: in this wyse sitting vpon the ground with vnlosed tongue and liberty of speach, stoutly she answered the tyrant's demaund in this manner: "If there were in thee, Aristotimus, any manly prudence, wisedome, or good discretion, truly thou wouldest not commaund vs poore imprisoned women to write vnto our husbands, but rather suffer vs to goe vnto them, and vse more moderate wordes and myld behauiour, than wherewith of late thou diddest entertaine vs, by scoffing, mocking, and cruelly dealyng with vs, and oure pore children: and if now thou being voyd of all hope, doest seeke to persuade by our meanes likewise to deceiue our husbands, that be come hither to put theyr Lyues in Peryll for our deliveraunce, I assure the thou vainly begilest thy selfe, for wee henceforth do purpose neuer to bee deceyued of the: wee require thee also to thinke and stedfastly beleeue, that our husbands heades bee not so mutch bewitched with Folly, as despysing their Wyves and Chyldren, Neglecting their duetyes towards them, wyll, being in this forwardnesse, abandon their preseruation and geeve ouer the Liberty of theyr countrey: think also that they little esteme or wey the regard of vs, and theyr children, in respect of the great contentation they shal attaine by vnyoking the liberty of theyr countrey from thy pride and intollerable bondage, and which is worst of al, from that tyranny which neuer people felt the like: for if thou were a king as thou art a tyrant, if thou were a Gentleman borne of noble kind as thou arte a slaue, proceding from the deuil, thou wouldest neuer execute thy cursed cruelty against a feble kind, such as women be, and werest thou alone ioyned in singular combat with my valyant and dere beloued husband, thou durst not hand to hand to shew thy face: for commonly it is seene, that the Courtly Ruffyan backed on wyth such mates as he is himself, careth not what attempt he taketh in hand, and stares with hayre vpright, loking as though he would kil the deuyll, but when he is preast to seruyce of the field, and in order to encountre with his Prynce's foe, vpon the small sway by shocke or push that chaunceth in the fight, he is the first that taketh flyght, and laste that standeth to the face of hys ennimy. Such kind of man art thou, for so long as our husbands wer farre of, absent fro theyr Country, not able to rid vs from thy thral, thou wroughtest thy malyce then against theyr wyues at home, doyng the greatest cruelty towardes them and theyr suckyng babes, that euer deuyl could do vpon the damned sort, and now thou seest them arriued here vnder our country walles, thou flyest and seekest help at women's hands, whose power if it serued them according to their willes, would make thee tast the fruit of thy commytted smart." And as she would haue proceded further in hir liberal talk, the Caytife tyrant not able to abyde any further speach, troubled beyond measure, presently commaunded the litle child of hir to be brought before him, as though immediatly he would haue killed him, and as his seruants sought him out, the mother espied him playing amongs other children, not knowinge for his small stature and lesse yeres, wher he was becom, and calling him by his name, said vnto him: "My boy, come hither, that first of al thou mayst lose thy life, to feele the proufe and haue experience of the cruel tyranny wherin we be, for more grieuous it is to me to see the serue against the nobility of thy bloud, than dismembred and torn in pieces before my face." As Megistona stoutly and vnfearfully had spoken those words, the furious and angry tyrant drew forth his glistring blade out of the sheath, purposing to have slaine the gentlewoman, had not one Cilon the familiar freend of Aristimus stayd his hand, forbidding him to commit an act so cruel. This Cilon was a fayned and counterfayt frend of the tyrant, very conuersant with other his familiar frends, but hated him with deadly hatred, and was one of them that with Hellanicus had conspired against the tyrant. This gentleman then seeinge Aristotimus wyth so great fury to waxe wood agaynst Megistona, imbraced him, and sayd, that it was not the part of a gentleman proceeding from a Race righte honourable, by any meanes to imbrue hys Handes in Woman's bloud, but rather the signe and token of a cowardly knyght, wherfore he besought him to stay his hands. Aristotimus persuaded by Cilon, appeased his rage, and departed from the imprisoned women. Not long after, a great prodige and wonder appeared in this sort: before supper the tyrant and his wyfe withdrue themselues into their chamber, and being there, an Egle was seene to soare ouer the tyrante's palace, and being aloft, by little and little to descend, and letting fal from her tallands a huge and great stone vpon the top of that chamber, with clapping wings and flying noyse soared vp againe, so far as she was cleane out of sight from them that did behold hir. With the rumor and shouts of those that saw this sight, Aristotimus was appalled, and vnderstanding the circumstance of the chaunce, hee sent for his diuine to declare the signification of this Augurye, which greatly troubled his minde. The Southsayer bad him to be of good chere, for that it did portend the great fauour and loue which Iupiter bare vnto him. But the prophet of the City whom the Cytizens had wel tryed and proued to be faithfull and trusty, manifested vnto them the great daunger that hong ouer the tyrant's head, sutch as the lyke neuer before. The confederats which had conspired wyth Hellanicus, made great speede to prosecute theyr enterprise, and the next night to kil the tyrant. The very same night Hellanicus dreamed that he saw his dead sonne to speak vnto him these woords: "What meane you father this long tyme to sleepe, I am one of your sonnes whom Aristotimus hath slayne, know you not that the same day you attempt your enterpryse, you shalbe captaine and prince of your country?" By this vision Hellanicus confirmed, he rose bytimes in the morninge, and exhorted the conspirators that day to execute the benefit of their country. That time Aristotimus was certified how Craterus the Tyrant of another Citty, with a great army, was comming to his ayde agaynst the Banished people of Elis, and that hee was arriued at Olympia, a Citty betweene the mount Ossa, and the mountayne Olympus. With whych newes Aristotimus beinge incouraged, thought already that he had put to flight and taken the banished persons, which made him to aduenture hymselfe abroade wythout Guard or garrison, accompanied only wyth Cilon and one or two of his familiar frendes, the very same time that the conspiratours were assembled to do the facte. Hellanicus seeing the time so conuenient to deliuer his beloued countrey by the death of the traiterous tirant, not attending any signe to be geuen to his companions (although the same was concluded vpon) the lusty old man liftinge vp his handes and eyes vnto the heauens, with cleare and open voyce cried out to his companions and sayd: "Why stay yee, O my Cityzens and louinge countrymen, in the face of your Citty to finish this good and commendable act?" At whych words, Cilon was the first which with his brandishing blade killed one of those that wayted vpon the Tirant. Thrasibulus then and Lampidus assayled Aristotimus, vpon whose sodayne approche, he fled into the Temple of Iupiter, where hee was murdred with a thousand wounds vpon his body, accordingly as he deserued. He beinge thus deseruedly slayne, his body was drawen vp and down the streetes, and proclamation of liberty sounded vnto the people: whereunto ech Wyght assembled, amonges whom the imprisoned Women also brake forth, and reioysed with their countrey deliuerers of that egregious enterprise, by fires and bankets outwardly disclosinge their exceedinge great ioy wythin, and in mid of their mirth the people in great thronges and companies ranne to the Tyrant's Palace, whose Wyfe hearinge the people's noyse, and certified of her husband's death, inclosed her selfe in a chamber with her two daughters, and knowinge how hatefull she was vnto the Citizens, with a fastned cord vpon a beame she hong hir selfe. The chamber dores being broke open, the people viewed the horrible sight of the strangled Lady, wherewithall not mooued they tooke the two tremblinge Daughters of the Tyrant, and caryed them away, purposinge to Rauish and Violate the same, firste to saciate their lust with the spoyle of theire virginitye, and afterwardes to kyll them (those gentlewomen were very beautiful and mariageable) and as they were about to do that shamefull deede, Megistona was told thereof, who accompanied with other Matrons sharpelye rebuked theire furye sayinge: that vncomely it were for them which sought to establishe a ciuill state, to do such a shameles act as tyrant's rage would scarce permit. Vpon that noble matron's auctoritye and interception, they ceassed from their filthy fact: and then the woman tooke the virgins out of the people's handes, and brought them into the chamber where there strangled mother was. And vnder standing howe it was decreede that none of the tyrante's bloude should rest a liue: shee turned her face to the two yonge gentlewomen and sayde: "The chiefest pleasure which I can do vnto you, resteth in this choyse, that it shall be lauful for eyther of you to chose what kind of death you list, by knyfe or halter, if you wil to dispatch your liues from the headles peoples greatter fury, vppon whose two whyte and tender bodyes if they do seaze the goddes do knowe and we do feare the cruelty and great abuse which they do mean to vse, I thinke not for despyte of you, but for the iust reuenge of your most cruell father's actes, for the tyrannous life of whom the goddes do thunder downe the boltes of their displeasure, afflicting his nearest blood and bestbeloued wyfe and children, with vengeance poured from heauens." Vppon the sentence of this the fatall ende, the elder mayden of the twayne vnlosed a gyrdle from her middle, and began to tye the same to hang hir selfe, exhorting her yonger sister to do the lyke: and in any wise to beware by sparing of her life, to incur the beastly rage of the monstruous people, which cared not to do ech vile and filthy act, vnworthy theyr estate. The yonger sister at those wordes, layd handes vpon the fastened corde, and besought hir right earnestly first of al to suffer hir to die. Wherevnto the elder aunswered: "So long as it was lawfull for me to liue, and whiles we led our princely time in our father's courte, and both were free from enimie's danger, all things betwene vs two were common and indifferent, wherefore the gods forbid (that now the gates of death be opened for vs to enter, when with the Ghostes of our deere Parentes our soules amids the infernall fieldes be predestined to raunge and wander) that I shoulde make denyall of thy request. Therfore goe to good sister mine, and shrink not when thou seest the vgly face of her, that must consume vs all: but yet (dere sister) the deadly sight of thee before my selfe, will breede to me the woe and smart of double death." When she had so sayd, she yelded the coller to her sister, and counselled hir to place the same so neere the necke bone as shee could, that the sooner the halter's force might stop her breath. When the vnfearefull yonger sister was dead, the trembling hands of the dredlesse elder maid vntied the girdle from her neck, couering in comely wise her senselesse corps. Then turning hir self to Megistona, she humbly prayd hir not to suffer their two bodies to be seene naked, but so sone as she could, to bury them both in one Earthly graue, referring the frutes of their virginity to the mould wherof they came. When she had spoken these wordes, without any stay or feare at all, with the selfe same corde she strangled herselfe and so finished her fatal dayes. The guiltlesse death of which two tender maydes there was none of the citizens of Elis (as I suppose) so stonye hearted and voyde of Nature's force, ne yette so wrothe agaynst the tyrant father, but did lament, as wel for the constant stoutenes and manner of their death, as for their maydenlyke behauiour and right honest petitions made to that noble matrone Megisthona, who afterwardes caused the other dames to bury those two bodyes in one graue. O how happy and famous had these two sisters bene, if they had not bene the daughters of so wicked and cruell a father? But parentes offence or childrens trespas ought not to deface the vertuous dedes of their posterity.

THE SIXTH NOUELL.

_The maruaylous courage and ambition of a gentlewoman called
Tanaqvil, the Queene and wife of Tarqvinivs Priscvs the fift Roman
king, with his persuasions and pollicy to hir husbande for his
aduauncement to the kingdom, her lyke encouragement of Servivs
Tvllivs, wherein also is described the ambition of one of the
II. daughters of Servivs Tvllivs the sixt Roman king, and
her cruelty towards her owne natural father: with other accidents
chaunced in the new erected common welth of Rome, specially of the
last Romane king Tarqvinivs Svperbvs, who with murder atteined the
kingdome, with murder maynteined it, and by the murder and insolent
lyfe of his sonne was with al his progeny banished._